Before you buy a spice blend in a bottle, look at the label. If you have a reasonably well stocked pantry, most of what comes in a pre-packaged spice blend can be reproduced with what you have. Try blending your own, or at least putting those spices you love cooking with next to one another in a "spice kit" you can reach for easily to add some flavor to your food.

The goal of the spice kit is twofold: first, thinking ahead about which spices you'd like to use together helps you put together a flavor profile in your head that can go well with just about anything. If you like spicy things, make a spicy blend with chipotle powder, red pepper flake, or cayenne pepper. If you prefer savory, maybe a little adobo, black pepper, and paprika are good to keep together. Second, assembling the kit makes you more likely to use the spices, and your cooking will benefit as a result. You can mix your favorites into a "special seasoning" that only you know the recipe for, or you can just assemble the spices in proximity to one another so they're all in easy reach when you start cooking.

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The folks at Serious Eats suggest you pick up a masala dabba for your spice mix, which makes it even easier to use (although it definitely takes up some space) or even re-use a cookie tin to keep your collection intact and in reach. The end result is you'll have a mix for whatever flavor you want, and you don't have to root through your spice cabinet every night when you start cooking.